Sarah Hamlin
Google
This beautiful chateau has a place in history and is very well located to visit the beaches of beautiful Normandie with all of their historical significance. However, this property is in need of a capital infusion and a much better management team.
We arrived on a Sunday. To be fair, most enjoy this day off. However, in busy tourist season, one would expect still a welcoming staff. We were met by a petite girl- who asked if we had luggage. When we replied we did, she simply stood in the door while we brought it all. That was fine as we have lugged it already across three countries. She offered to help us get the suitcases up the stairs- there is no lift - but she was smaller than both of us so that seemed futile. No doorman or other help was anywhere to be seen. She was trying. -
Our room was spacious - however, it was a hot day and there is no available air conditioning. We opened all windows and used the fan to bring the fresh air into the room. We were lucky it cooled off later. The bedding was adequate but tired at best- lumpy pillows and thin covers.
There is a greenhouse covered pool and a sauna but they were very hot the day we visited.
The strangest experience continued at our dinner. We had a reservation for 7:30. A Back Roads bike trip of 17 was sat as were a few others. We enjoyed a cocktail in the sun room delivered by our most friendly bartender- who was at the time wearing many hats - cleaning, serving, and bartending. We were not sat until after 9, though we were told several times that “my colleague would be there in just a few minutes.” I ordered a wine pairing with my dinner; it never arrived- the same Le Colleague blamed the failure of delivery on a young server even though he had taken the order himself. As we observed, this “Le Colleague” continued to scowl at guests and staff but he himself snuck off to the corners to smoke.
The food was good with lovely presentation and was the bright spot of the evening. Thank you Chef. It is too bad that the service did not provide more attention and celebrate your food in the traditional French way with the wine to compliment.
We retired again to the bar where again the most customer service friendly Anthony engaged in delightful conversation with us and with other visitors, offering the region’s Calvados and other delights. As he knew our dining and welcome were less than wonderful, he offered us one more champagne after 11 and around the corner again came Le Colleague - again frowning at both the staff and even at us!! Apparently, the bar should close at 11- well, our dinner should have been by 8!!
We learned the next day that the very person who provided the best service and delighted all had been terminated. I suggest to management, that they examine leadership and the atmosphere that Le Colleague is creating- it transfers to your visitors quickly and obviously.
If you are visiting Normandie for a brief stay, Chateau de Sully is a lovely site with its own place in history, but I dare say, it is troublesome that a guest could observe behind the scenes so easily. It was fine and comfortable but memorable for the wrong reasons. Start to finish, we called it our Faulty Towers hotel stay.
We do have the name of Le Colleague but hope that the gentleman will either start caring for his guests and his leadership or that higher management will hear and know of whom we speak.
